His Little Marie
by FriendsWithNature
Summary: After X-Men: Days of Future Past, Logan adjusts to the new timeline with help from an old friend. Fluffy Rogue/Wolverine one-shot. Please read, review, and enjoy!


Rating: K+

Disclaimer: Marvel owns X-Men; I do not.

A/N: This story takes place right after X-Men Days of Future Past. A big thanks to my colleague, friend, and fellow Marvel fan Lindsay for excellent proof-reading! You all enjoy, and God bless. :)

His Little Marie by LERC (FriendsWithNature)

It had been a week since the consciousness of "past-Logan" caught up with the body of "present-Logan." He found years of unfamiliar memories belonging "present-Logan" slowly mixing in with the recollections of his time-traveled mind. The future recreated by the younger versions of himself, Charles Xavier, Beast, and even Mystique, was much brighter. While it filled him with hope – a normally foreign sensation – the sudden reveries of a different past haunted him as his two lives fought to become one.

During the confusing process, Logan kept his distance from students and staff, even Jean. He was overjoyed to find her alive, well, and still at school, but he was not entirely ready to face her. He tried to limit his company to Beast and Charles, the only two at "Charles Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters" who knew "past-Logan." They tried to make the bizarre transition easier on him; both temporarily took over his classes. During spare time, Charles taught him "new history," while Beast constantly devised ways to get Logan's mind off itself. This morning, Logan actually approved of Beast's suggestion: exercise.

"Did we have a gym at your school?" Beast questioned the bed-draggled Wolverine who followed him out the cafeteria and down the hall. The campus was quiet at 5 o'clock in the morning as most students caught up on lost sleep spent cramming for the exams that week.

"The Danger Room?"

"We have that, but no. An additional gym, similar to what regular humans use. The Warm-Up Room!"

Logan froze. He winced and massaged his forehead as the internal war kicked in, armed with a nasty headache. "I don't know, Hank. Yes? No? No," he decided. "Everyone just warmed up outside or in their rooms. They're all so different that only a few kids would've been challenged by typical exercise machines. Cost too much anyway."

Beast looked pleased. "Well, here, generous donors and some particularly skilled academy graduates, including me, created us a wonderfully diverse gym, if I do say so myself."

"You would," Logan said dryly.

Beast smiled sheepishly. "Turn there." He guided Logan around the corner to where a brick wall should have been and stopped in front of metal double doors. A plaque above it read 'The Warm-Up Room.'

"Knock yourself out." Beast walked away with a mirthful grin.

"More surprises; just what I need," Logan muttered. He took a deep breath and pushed the doors apart. They banged loudly against the wall and revealed a large well-lit, mirrored room with dozens of unconventional exercise machines on the carpeted floor, grey walls, and high-vaulted ceiling. What caught Logan's attention was the green yoga mat at the center of the gym.

* * *

Rogue paused her crunches and relaxed, looking between her legs to see who had made such a dramatic entrance. "Logan!" She sat up and hugged her knees, smiling widely at her old friend and mentor.

Logan was taken aback, but found himself flash a grin in return. "Hey, kid."

"I didn't know you worked out at 5," she remarked.

"Neither did I."

"Huh?"

"I, uh, didn't know you did too," Logan corrected. He crossed his arms and wandered over to her. It felt awkward to have a conversation by the door, yet he found himself growing more uncomfortable as he drew near. He had caught sight of her a couple of times in the hall that week, but never got close enough to get a good look.

Her face, although sweaty and framed by fly-away hairs escaping a messy bun, had matured since he saw her last. Her eyes still held their youthful spirit, but there was a new air of strength and elegance about her. Though captivated by her countenance, Wolverine couldn't help but notice that her tight grey sweater accentuated her curves and her dark yoga pants drew attention to her long, slender legs. Her body must have matured also, because he never stopped to take notice before.

In his timeline, Rogue had moved out of the school shortly following Jean's death, after surrendering her powers to 'the cure' and facing the end of her relationship with Tommy. Somehow Logan had managed to momentarily push aside his grief for Jean and see Rogue off, mumbling something about how he'd always be there for her if she needed him.

"Normally, I don't exercise so early," Rogue admitted. "Tommy and I work out afternoons – he's not a morning person – but my exam is at 3, and I didn't want to skip a day. So here I am, bright and early."

"Bright and early," Logan repeated, nodding. _Wonder how much of this I was supposed to know_, he thought, sitting down on a nearby heavy-weighted bench-press table and pushing aside a used towel someone had forgotten.

Rogue unknowingly answered his question while she resumed her crunches. "I hardly see you anymore. I guess we've both gotten busy with our own lives, huh?" There was a hint of sadness in her voice.

"Yeah," Logan agreed, gazing far-off.

"I heard you're taking a couple weeks off from teaching. Everything okay?"

"Yep." He fidgeted with his sweatpants; he wasn't accustomed to wearing loose-fitting clothes. "Crazy, but better than ever. You?" He looked back down at her, drawn in by her piercing brown eyes.

Rogue shrugged as her back hit the mat. "Pretty good. Kinda lonely; Tommy has a job."

"Good for him."

"Yeah, for him, not so much for me." Rogue had to gasp for air between repetitions, so she slowed her pace. "I mean, it's important and all, but it's become his priority. Hardly ever see him between studies and work. Exercising's the only time, really. But nope," she accelerated her movement, "Not today. Didn't want to get up for it. Guess I don't blame him."

"Mm," Wolverine sympathized.

Rogue sighed and propped herself up onto her elbows. "Done with that. What are you gonna start with? Beast's favorite?" she teased, nodding towards the bench-press table.

"Nah, that's no work-out," Logan boasted, giving the forgotten towel another shove, causing it to expel a miniature flurry of blue fur. He rose from the table in mock-disgust. "I think-" He glanced around the gym in search of a challenge, and spotted a stack of rolled up yoga mats in the corner. "My own body weight will do." He strode across the room and returned with a blue mat. He lay it down a few feet from Rogue as she sat cross-legged on hers to watch him.

Logan peeled off his t-shirt, got into position on his hands and toes, and eased his body off the ground. Rogue blushed as she observed his muscles ripple with each repetition.

"Nothing like good, old-fashioned push-ups," Logan remarked to fill the silence.

"You make them look easy. Too easy." The girl furrowed her brow.

Logan threw one arm behind his back and continued the motion, up and down, up and down. "How about now?"

"Still too easy."

Logan began changing hands midair and lifted the opposite leg at the same time, but his breathing remained steady.

"Now?"

"Nope, still." Rogue shook her head playfully. "You've got a lot of muscle and all-" She tried to sound casual. "But you're not fat or anything, so your weight isn't a challenge."

Logan smirked and kept rotating his arms and legs. "So you think I need to gain a little weight?"

Rogue laughed. "I didn't mean it like-"

"Hop on."

Rogue blinked, unsure whether or not she heard him correctly. "Wh-what?"

"You said I needed more weight, so hop on." Logan slowed and resumed steadily pumping with one hand. He quickly realized the insulting implication when he saw Rogue frown. "Now I didn't mean it like- Oof!"

Rogue shot up from the ground and forcibly plopped herself onto Wolverine's back. She faced forward and drew in her legs behind her to retain balance, giggling. "What was that grunt for then? It sure sounded like you meant it!"

Logan's eyebrows stitched together, and his breathing began to show signs of exertion. "Nah, kid, this is still too easy!" he huffed.

Rogue wobbled as his body rose and fell, so she cautiously wrapped her arms around his back for security. Logan tensed.

"I-I guess you notice I'm not wearing gloves," Rogue stammered presently.

Logan arched his eyebrow and glanced down at her hands clasped inches away from his bare chest. "Actually, no. But that's not a problem."

"For once, it really isn't. I'm learning how to turn my power off. I'm concentrating hard right now, so you should be safe."

"Don't worry about it, kid; I'm not scared of you."

Rogue blushed. A few minutes passed before she broke the silence again. "I'm trying to gain a muscle so I'll be good on the battlefield for more than just my deadly touch, now that I can curb it. Maybe I'll save someone's life for once, instead of sucking it out of them." She laughed, but Logan could tell she still had not made peace with her mutant abilities.

"You better not plan on suppressing your powers entirely. They're important. You're just starting to understand them, so there must be more to 'em." He used his free hand to wipe sweat from his brow. "Besides, you never have to worry killing me," he jested, but he meant it as encouragement.

"Same for you," Rogue joked. "Our powers cancel each other's out." Her voice softened. "It's pretty awesome, actually."

"Yes it is, kid," Logan agreed quietly. He knew he was the only person Rogue could really touch safely with gloves off, and that she was the only one he could stab in the heart and would live to tell about it. Her copying ability and his healing power worked well together. It hurt him to have almost killed her when they accidentally discovered this, but he was glad that their history together had not changed. Despite this new timeline, she remained his little Marie.

"Logan," Rogue began, interrupting his train of thought. "Why do you call me 'kid'? I mean, you haven't in a long time."

Apparently this part of his new past had changed. "I- you don't like it?"

"N-no, I do. Brings back good memories." Rogue smiled. "But-"

Logan was so focused on her words that he lost the rhythm in his pushups. He jolted upward sharply, causing Rogue to lose her balance. She latched on tightly, but her body swung down the side of his until she was hanging beneath him. The force caused her hair to fall free of her bun and cushion her head upon impact with the mat. Logan quickly put down his other arm and grounded his knees to prevent himself from toppling over and crushing her, and Rogue found herself clinging to him with all four limbs, trapped between his arms.

Their first reaction, after the initial shock, was laughter. As both became aware of their positions, they froze. Logan admired the silver strands in her loose hair and her vanishing grin, and he saw the Rogue he always knew, but more-so. "But- you're right. You're not a kid anymore, Marie," he finished.

Rogue stared spellbound into his eyes. He hardly ever laughed, and she'd never caught him looking at her with this tentative hunger. Sometimes she thought she glimpsed a tender side of him, but, now, in the face of it, she realized there was more to it than she imagined. Was this really for her?

Loud voices in the hallway shook the two out of their world. Rogue hurriedly detached herself from Logan and rolled out onto her mat as he scrambled to sit upright. Both rose to their feet, breathing heavily and glancing from each other to the door. The voices grew louder, but soon waned as the students passed by without stopping in.

Rogue slumped against Beast's bench-press table and burst out laughing. "I'm sorry," she apologized, covering her mouth.

Logan smirked. "Laughing in the face of danger, huh?"

Rogue blushed but could not stop giggling. "Yeah. Natural reaction or something." She forced herself to take calming breaths and soon quieted down. "Ych." She wiped her wet forehead and lifted her sweater slightly to fan her stomach. "I know you were the one doing pushups, but I'm hot!"

"I can see that," Logan replied intuitively, his eyes glued to her creamy, toned abdomen. "Uh." He realized what he said and diverted his gaze as Rogue cocked her head. "I can see that you've built up your abs-" It didn't sound any better, so he added, "But that shouldn't wear you out. If you want to gain muscle, pushups are the way to go." He crossed his arms with feigned confidence.

Rogue's body quivered as she suppressed a laugh. "My turn for good, old-fashioned pushups? Alright." She located her hair-tie, pulled her hair into a ponytail, and got into position on Logan's mat while he stood back to supervise.

She had barely lifted her body off the ground when Logan objected, "Way too easy. Way. Too. Easy." He clapped his hands. "One-handed, here we go!"

"Logan!" Rogue protested, "I'm not as strong as you, Mr. Wolverine."

"I used to train you; you can do it."

Rogue gave it a try, but landed on her chin with a thud. "Ow," she moaned as she pulled herself back up, "I don't have your sense of balance either."

"Alright, alright." Logan sat down next to her, burning with an idea. Rogue paused her pushups and laughed at his unusual enthusiasm. "Regular pushups," he explained, "but I'll add extra weight."

Rogue's face reddened. "I don't think I'm strong enough for that either."

"I'll just rest my arm on your back," he promised. "You can handle that."

"Okay." Rogue waited until she felt his arm, then began raising and lowering her body. His arm weighed more than she believed an arm should, but she was able to pick up decent speed with moderate strain. "How's this?"

"Good, but still too easy."

"Logan!" she moaned, stopping and glaring at him over her shoulder. "This is payback, isn't it?"

"No, this is your new exercise routine," Logan quipped. "Now let me, just-" He tried not to lose face as he lay on the floor and rested his legs up on Rogue's back horizontally. "There. This is your challenge." He crossed his arms and stared at the ceiling, looking smug.

Rogue's body buckled slightly under the additional weight, but she gritted her teeth and pushed harder. "I need to be useful, someone the team can be proud of," she whispered to herself. The first few repetitions were difficult, but she soon found her rhythm. "You are a challenge, but I'm doing it!" She laughed.

"Told you," Logan said confidently. He stole a glance at her and grinned. Seeing her smile made him happier than he had been in a long time. She definitely was no longer a kid, but a strong, beautiful young woman. His eyes widened and he glanced away as he contemplated this feeling for her, wondering which timeline it originated from, if not both. Wherever it was from, it was a present force inside his heart.

Suddenly a "harrumph" invaded their privacy. Logan looked over his head and saw Scott standing in the doorway with a disgusted expression. "Hi, Scott," he greeted casually, meeting his gaze upside-down.

Rogue halted, and the lack of movement caused her body to collapse under Logan's legs. Unfortunately for her, Logan was too focused on Scott to notice, and she was too embarrassed to say anything.

"Charles wants to speak with you," Scott said slowly, raising an eyebrow from under his sunglasses. "Now."

"On my way." Logan swung his legs off of Rogue and stood up. Reaching for his shirt on the bench-press table, he addressed his now-sitting, grown up Marie, "There; you should be able to go fast now that I'm not ridin' ya."

Rogue gasped and her face flushed, and Scott raised both eyebrows. Logan reddened as he pulled his shirt over his head, but when he emerged he wore a straight face. He absently threw the furry towel around his neck and headed for the door.

"See ya around, Marie," he called, not looking back.

Rogue beamed, and Scott glanced between the two of them and around the wonderfully diverse gym, scrutinizing the strange situation.

* * *

"What was that about?" Scott's inquiry came fast, with thinly-veiled accusation. They were down the hall and out of earshot of the gym.

"What was what? Just a little student-teacher training," Wolverine denied.

"But she's not in any of your classes this term," Scott persisted. "And 'Marie'?"

Wolverine shrugged. He spotted Jean headed their way and realized she hadn't occupied his thoughts that morning.

"Scott, Logan," Jean greeted with a coy smile.

Scott returned the smile, but watched Logan closely. "Hey Jean."

"Hi Jean," Logan said, meeting her eyes only briefly, then staring straight ahead.

Logan caught Jean's confused expression as she walked by. He normally acted over-eager when they bumped into each other, even with Scott present. Logan wasn't sure how to treat her now, but he hoped she would consider today's restraint part of his strange new behavior that prompted unsuspecting staff to remark that he behaved like he were living among ghosts.

* * *

Rogue left the gym, unable to contain her excitement. She was more energized than exhausted, despite her rigorous training. "He doesn't know he took Beast's towel," she snickered. "Logan, what's with you today?"

She peered around the corner, hoping to catch sight of him, but found herself face to face with Jean. Both ladies started.

"Sorry, Miss Grey!" Rogue bit her lip as her teacher examined her disheveled appearance.

"What were you doing?" Jean asked with a little laugh.

Rogue thought for a moment, then shrugged. "Just looking for a towel."

* * *

Logan had turned around to watch the ladies at the sound of commotion. Scott frowned disapprovingly at first, but smirked when he realized his rival's attention was on Rogue. "You just can't go after single girls, can you?" he remarked.

Wolverine turned to him, peeved. "What?"

Scott gestured to Rogue as Jean left. "Want to make it a double date?" he teased. "Now that you finally acknowledge Jean is mine, I might let you hang around."

"I have no idea what you're talking about. On both counts," Wolverine insisted, resuming the walk to Xavier's office. He tried, unsuccessfully, to catch the towel as it slipped off his shoulder. "About Rogue and me back there; well, I'm just making sure our students are fit and ready for anything," he defended as he stooped over to pick up the cloth. As he did so, he glanced between his legs and noticed Rogue grinning at him from the end of the hall.

Rogue caught Logan shake his head and smile back at her before he straightened himself and disappeared around a corner with a dubious Scott. She had the feeling she'd be seeing more of Logan, and, for some reason, it made her future look brighter.

* * *

Later that day, over a private lunch in Xavier's office, Beast asked his friend, "So, did exercise help calm things down?"

"Actually," Logan began, pausing to swallow his coffee, "Things are more complicated than before." Beast frowned, and Logan took another sip. "In a good way," he concluded mysteriously.


End file.
